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United States Patent York Filed Aug. 5, 1959, Ser. No. 831,838 3 Claims.(Cl. 189-41) This invention relates to a partitioning system.

It is conventional at the present time to subdivide office space in abuilding by apartitioning system which is installed to suit a tenantsconvenience after erection of the building has been completed. Variouspartitioning systems for this purpose are currently sold. However theyare characterized by many serious defects which have been accepted andborne by the trade only because of the absolute necessity of employing apartitioning system of some sort.

One of the drawbacks is the high unit cost of the partitioning system.Present day conventional partitioning systems utilize a very largenumber of parts for each unit. Each of these parts must be individuallyformed, must be provided in various sizes, must be individually trimmedand individually painted, handled and assembled at the site of use,thereby entailing substantial expense. The cost is further enhanced bythe large number of parts which must be. stocked by the local dealer, bythe individual packaging of many of the parts, byv the sheer bulk of thelarge number of parts and by the consequent large storage and shippingspace that is required. The cost also is heightened by the complexity ofinstallation of such systems.

Another drawback of current partitioningsystems is their need for highlyskilled labor which is not always available locally and which, as iscommon with highly skilled labor, involves temperamental demands Afurther drawback of the present day partitioning systems is theconsiderable time required for initial installation, making rush jobsdifiicult of accomplishment.

Another and very serious disadvantage of existing partitioning systemsis what may be denoted their sequential installation and take-down.These partitioning systems are so constructed that first a post must beinstalled, then a partition panel, then another post, then anotherpartition panel, etc, in that alternating order. When they are takendown, the process is reversed but sequence is maintained. They cannot beeither installed or taken apart in anything but the sequence indicated.This obviously slows down and increases the cost of erection anddismantling which already are highly complicated by the very largenumber of parts involved.

Still another disadvantage of present day partitioning systems is thecondition in which they leave a space after having been dismantled. Itnormally is necessary to rehabilitate the floor and ceiling after apartitioning system has been removed andbefore another or the samesystem, differently located, is installed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a partitioningsystem which avoids all of the aforementioned and other drawbacks of thevarious commercial present day partitioning systems. i

It is another object of the invention to provide partitioning system ofthe character described which constitutes relatively few and simpleparts, is rug ed and du- 7 3,189,140 Patented June 15, 1965 "ice tioningsystem of the character described which is strong. and yet can bechanged with extreme rapidity, to alter, for example, the dimensions andsurfacing of rooms, and wall passageways of rooms formed thereby.

Other objects of the invention in part will be obvious and in part willbe pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will beexemplified in the partitioning system hereinafter described and ofwhich the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, inwhich are shown various possibleembodiments of'the invention,

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the room side of one wall of a corridormade with a partitioning system in accordance with the instantinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the interior of one of the rooms offsaid corridor, the same illustrating only the floor and ceiling andshowing the elements thereof which are adapted to receive but are notthere holding a post;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line3-3 of FIG. 2;.

FIG. 4 is aview similar to FIG. 3 but illustrating the floor preparatoryto the reception of a post;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken: substantially along the line5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the ceiling at a post site;

. FIG. 7 is an exploded view of an installed. post at the ceiling zone;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating apost in installedposition;

FIG. 9 is a vertical, partly sectional, view through. an installed postand through. the associated floor and ceiling sites;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a corner of a room erected with apartitioning system of the instantinvention, the right-hand. wall ofsaid room being exploded in order 1 to illustrate the various parts ofthe system;

FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view through a wall of the room, thesame being taken substantially along the line 12-12 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a post and transom barforming part of the instant partitioning system;

FIG. 14 is a vertical sectional view through a typical joint connectinga transom bar and post of the present partitioning system;

FIG. '15 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 15-15 ofFIG. 14; Y

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 12 but taken substantially along theline 16-16 of FIG. 1 and illustrating a modified form of panel;

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary sectional view taken tially along the line17-17 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a panel, the same illustrating afeature of the invention, to wit, an arrangement for enabling a shelf tobe mounted at any selected height on a wall;

FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken substantially along substanthe line19-19 of FIG. 18;

ly along the line 22-22 of FIG. 1 and illustrating a vertical transversesection through said sliding door;

FIG. 23 is an enlarged .sectional View taken substantially along theline 23-43 of FIG. 22 and illustrating a vertical longitudinal sectionthrough said door;

. FIG. 24 is an enlarged sectional View taken substantially along theline 2 l-24 of FIG. 1 and illustrating a horizontal section through apanel of the partitioning system wherein a swinging door is provided;

FIG. 25 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line25-25 of FIG. 1 and illustrating a vertical transverse section throughsaid swinging door;

FIG. 26 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 26-26 ofFIG. 24 and illustrating a vertical longitudinal section through saiddoor;

FIG. 27 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 27-27 ofFIG. 26 and illustrating the connection between the door sill and thehinge jamb for the swinging door;

FIG. 28 is a horizontal sectional view through a half post used toconnect the partitioning section to a building outer wall.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral 39denotes a wall of a corridor, said wall being deliberately chosen toillustrate various examples of different kinds of sections of apartitioning system in accordance with the present invention. It will beunderstood that the different specific varied walls shown are onlyexamples and have been selected principally in order to make clear theconstruction and operation of the present invention. It is particularlyto he observed that due to the small scale utilized in FIG. 1, certaincharacteristic aspects of the invention which later will be hereinafterdescribed in detail are not shown, these being, for example, the typicalshadow line which separates a post from a thick Wall panel and thetypical gasket stripe which appears all vertical surfaces of a post towhich no wall panels are connected. These have been omitted from FIG. 1in order to avoid the many tiny lines that would be present if they wereshown to scale. It also i to be observed that the corridor wall shown inFIG. 1 is illustrated from the room side, that is to say, the sideopposite from the side of the wall exposed to the corridor inasmuch assuch a view provides a better representation of the various types ofwalls which are used on the insides of different rooms. However, inmaking this view, all of the partitions which normally would separateone room from another have been omitted for the purpose of clarity.

The principal element of a partitioning system constructed in accordancewith the present invention are: posts 32, wall panels 34 (both thick andthin), post bases 36, ceiling receptacles 3S, transom bars 40,clerestory panels 42 (both thick and thin), bases 44 and strip gasketing46. In addition there are provided a few simple coupling members andsound seals for certain of the elements.

Pursuant to a basic precept of the invention, each pair of posts andtheir associated wall panel (associated in the sense that such wallpanel has its side edges adjacent to said posts) are uniquely related ina fashion such that the elements, i.e., the posts and associated wallpanel,

have members which are relatively movable into and out of cooperativelocking engagement while the posts remain stationary, having beenpreviously installed. For example, each post may be provided with alaterally shiftable tongue and each side edge of the associated wallpanel with a matching groove so that with the tongues retracted a wallpanel can be inserted between the pair of posts and thereafter thetongues can be shifted into the panel grooves so as to cooperativelylock the wall panel to the two posts. Alternatively, the wall panel canbe provided with such retractable tongues and the pair of posts wit tothe wall panels are so constructed as to provide outwardly extendingtongues which protrude permanently grooves 48 arranged in quadrature.

from the side edges of the panels and the posts are provided withcooperating grooves. This tongue and groove relationship can be reversed(tongue on post, groove in wall panel) but is less desirable due to theprotrusion of the tongues in the absence of wall panels. The relativedimensions of the tongues, posts and grooves are such that the spacebetween a pair of posts is less than the space between the tips of thetongues, but the space between the bases of the opposed grooves on theposts is greater than the space between the tips of the tongues whereby,after a pair of posts has been set into place between floor and ceiling,the tongue at one side edge of the panel may be inserted in the grooveof one post to depth suificient to allow the opposite tongue to be swunginto registry with the other groove and thereafter introduced into saidother groove so that the wall panel will be captively held in place.Moreover, each groove is at least in part occupied by a resilient meanssuch as a spring loaded member, e.g. an elastomeric pad, which fills upthe excess spaces in the two grooves that permitted the tonguesmomentarily to be inserted in said grooves to a greater depth than theyoccupy in their final positions.

The actual detailed construction of a specific post 32 and thesecurement thereof to floor and ceiling sites arranged to receive themcan best be seen from inspection of FIGS. 2 through 10. Said postconveniently constitutes a metal extrusion which desirably comprises alight metal, such, for instance, as aluminum, which has an attractivenatural surface that can be easily proofed against atmosphericdeterioration. The interior of the post preferably is hollow to saveweight, to hold down cost, and to facilitate mounting of the posts andvarious elements thereon.

The post is an elongated member, the length thereof being in excess ofthe floor to ceiling height. In the prefered form of the invention, thepost is of a generally square cross-section. This particular shape,however, is adapted merely as a matter of appearance and is not criticalto the proper operation of the invention.

In order to obtain the familiar pattern of rectangular enclosures thepost is formed to include four full length Although it is not necessaryto the described functional cooperation between wall panels and posts,the grooves 48 have constricted mouths thus in essence providing aT-shaped cross-section with the head of the T within the post and theshank of the T comprising the constricted mouth of the groove. Moreover,to assist in retaining strip gasketing within a groove, as will bedescribed hereinafter, the unconstricted portion of the groove isdovetailed, that is to say, narrower nearer the mouth than at the bottomof the groove.

The ceiling and floor of a room incorporating the present invention are,in a limited sense, specially constructed to detachably receive andthereby mount the posts in vertical position, i.e., the floor andceiling are specially constructed at the post mounting sites. Referring,for example, to FIG. 2, the reference numeral 59 denotes a typical floormounting site and the reference numeral 52 a typical ceiling mountingsite. These mounting sites are arranged in substantially verticalregistry and are dispersed about the floor and ceiling in apredetermined manner which will depend upon the proposed partitioningplans. Preferably, these sites are arranged in a rectangular grid on thefloor and ceiling, that is to say, are

located at the intersections of two sets of plural parallel linesrunning at right angles to one another.

The spacing between the lines desirably is modular and regular. An

exemplificative spacing, which of course need not be folwhen no post isintended to cooperate therewith. At

that time, the site constitutes a socket 54 preferably made of metal andhaving a flanged head 56. The socket is permanently secured, e.g., byimbedding it, in the floor matrix 58 which usually will be concrete. Ina preferred form of the invention, the head 56 is of square outline anddesirably is arranged with its diagonals in registry with the seams ofthe floor tiles. This facilitates cutting of the tiles to accommodatethe heads 56. It will be apparent that if the head were so oriented thatthe sides thereof were parallel to the seams of the floor tiles, itwould be necessary to cut square notches in the corners of the tilesadjoining the head. However, by turning the head 45 it only is necessaryto clip an isosceles triangle from each corner of the adjoining tiles.

The head 56 of the socket lies flat against the upper surface of thefloor matrix and has the same thickness as the floor tiles so that afterplacement, the top of the head is flush with the top of the tiles andthereby forms a smooth continuation of the finished floor surface.

The bore of the socket 54 is threaded to receive a flatheaded screw 60,the head of which is received in a depression at the upper end of thebore so that the head will be flush with the top of the socket when thepost base as is not used.

To ready the floor site for operation, the screw 60 is removed and inplace thereof the post base 36 is threaded into the socket. The postbase includes a threaded shank 62 having a plug end 64 which when theshank is fast in the socket protrudes above the surface of the floor.The plug'end is of circular transverse cross-section and'is slightlysmaller (FIG. than the hollow interior of the post 32.

The general construction of the ceiling for the support thereof has nobearing on the construction of the ceiling site 52. A typical ceilingstructure includes perpendicularly criss-crossed sets of wide metalstrips 66, 68 arranged in the modular pattern. One of these strips,e.g., the strip 66, is formed to include upwardly extended parallelWalls '79, the upper ends of which are horizontally registered and haveinturned flanges 72, the facing edges of the flanges being spaced apart,as can be seen best, for example, in FIG. 9. Each intersection of thestrips 66, 68, defines the location of a ceiling site and at each sitethe strip 66 is formed with an opening '74 which matches the squareconfiguration of the post but is slightly larger.

To install a post 32 at any desired site, the upper end of the post isinserted in the opening '74 and the post raised high enough to clear theplug end 64. Then the post is lowered to embrace and telescopicallyreceive said end 64.

it is useful to include means of a simple nature for steadying the upperand lower ends of the post. For example, at the lower end of the post,four set screws 76 threaded through the bases of the four grooves 48 arearranged in quadrature so that the tips of the screws can bear 90 aparton the plug end. By suitable adjustment of the set screws, the post canbe tightened on the plug end in plumb position. The upper end of thepost has tightly constricted on it anendless band78 of an elastomericmaterial, e.g., natural or synthetic rubber, which forms a squat, broad,protruding rib. The height of the rib is such that when added to thecross-section of the post, the rib will snugly engage the edges of theopening 74 so as to prevent any rattling of the post. I

It is desirable to deaden sound transmission through the opening '74even after the post is installed and also to prevent seepage of dust andextraneous material from the space above the ceiling. To this end thepartitioning system of the instant invention may further include one ora few pads bi) of the same cross-section as the opening '74 which areinserted into said opening so as to fill the space between the flanges'72 and the top of the post. Such pads are of a yieldable resilientnature, for example, being comprised of sponge rubber or a foamedflexible plastic such as polyurethane. In addition to the above, theremay be provided a square iinperforate membrane 32 for example, a rubberor limp plastic sheet, which is sandwiched under pressure between theflanges 72 and the pads. To'inconspicuously close the opening 74 whenthe same is not in use, a cover 84 is provided which constitutes asquare plate that completely fills the opening and has at least one pairof outwardly extending horizontal arms 86 above the level of the uppersurface of the strip 66 and resting thereon with the bottom of the coverplate flush with the bottom of said strip.

As noted earlier, in the particular form of the invention hereindescribed, the bottom of a post groove preferably, in effect, is biasedtoward the constricted mouth thereof for proper cooperation with thetongue on the side edge of a Wall panel. Although this could beaccompanied by spring loading, such structure is unduly complex andexpensive. A simpler arrangement for accomplishing the same result andutilized in the partitioning system now being described is the stripgasketing 46 of resilient material adapted to be contained Within eachgroove.

When no wall panel or equivalent member is arranged to engage a grooveof a post, the strip gasketing can be removed, however, it frequentlywill be left in place under such circumstances since it creates anattractive appearance and leaves the groove ready for engagement with awall panel or the like. It also should be noted that the strip gasketingwhich preferably is made from an elastomeric such as, for instance,sponge rubber or a flexible plastic, also acts as a sound seal between atongue of a wall panel and the post.

The strip gasketing may be of any convenient form and is so shaped as tocooperate with the shape of the groove; therefore, it will include anexternal contour which matches but is slightly larger than the contourof the groove, both the constricted mouth and the broad back. The stripgaskcting can be solid, in which case it preferably will be made fromsponge rubber or foamed plastic, or it may be hollow, in which case theelastic quality may be better obtained by utilizing a flexible syntheticresin,

40 eg. a polyvinyl compound. A typical hollow strip gasketshaped to forma narrower groove 88 defined by a pair of short parallel outwardlyextending ribs 90 the outer edges of which lie substantially flush withthe outer surface of the post.

The transom bars 49 are essentially similar to the post 32,distinguishing therefrom only by the omission of one registered set ofgrooves. Thus, basically, a typical transom bar constitutes an aluminumextrusion having grooves 48 on the upper and lower surfaces thereof butomitting grooves on the front and back surfaces. The transom bars likethe posts are hollow and, due to the absence of the front and backgrooves, conveniently are formed with an oblong cross-section beinglonger in the front to back direction than in the vertical direction.The transom bar extends horizontally when installed.

Pursuant to the present invention suitable means is included detachablyto secure the ends of each transom bar to an associated pair of posts32'. A typical joint for carrying out this function is illustrated inFIGS. l3, l4

and 15. Said joint includes a compression bracket 92 of T-shapedconfiguration the horizontal leg' of which is seated against theundersurface of the web forming the base of the upper groove 43 of atransom bar. Said leg includes a through aperture 94 which is tapped forengagement by the shank of a screw 96. A matching countersunk aperture98 in the web fully receives the flat head of the screw whereby thecompression bracket is securely 3 attached to the end of the transombar. One such bracket protrudes from each end of the transom bar.

The transom bars are furnished in modular lengths so that they willnicely fit between a pair of previously in-' stalled posts 32 with theirends adjacent to the facing sides of the posts. The vertical heads ofthe compression brackets at this time will be received within theopposed grooves 48 of the posts which face the transom bar (FIG. 15). Tohold the transom bar in such position and also to rigidity thepartitioning system, a shoe 1%, i.e. a post filler, of dovetailedcontour is placed within the dovetailed-shaped broad portion of each ofthe grooves 3-8 facing the transom bar. The shoe is vertically slottedas at 192 to form gibs 1% which bear against the surfaces 165 of thegroove facing away from the transom bar. A tapped bore 1% in the shoereceives the shank of a screw 1%, the head of which engages acountersunk opening in the head of the compression bracket. It will beseen, particularly by reference to FIG. 15, that when the screw 1&8 istightened, it will draw the gibs 194 against the surfaces 105 so as toclamp the post between the end of the transom bar and the shoe andthereby firmly secure said bar to the post. The height of the transombar off the fioor will depend upon the height of the wall panels 34.

The wall panels 34 may be of various constructions but are characterizedby the presence of a common feature, to wit, the provision on the twoside edges thereof of vertically extending portions, that is to say,tongues, which are receivable within the grooves 48 of the posts.Preferably, the wall panels 34 also include similar tongues(horizontally elongated) along their top and bottom edges. Inasmuch asthese tongues may vary considerably in structure (they may be solid orhollow, or have their tips grooved), it is believed that they will bestbe understood by reference to a detailed description of a completetypical thick wall panel 34. Such a panel is illustrated in verticalsection in FIG. 16 and in horizontal section in FIG. 19. This panelincludes a thick core 110 which is formed from any inexpensive, bulkmaterial, preferably a material which has a comparatively low density, afair degree of rigidity, i.e., stiffness, in the thicknesses and sizesused, is fire retardant and tends to act as a sound deadener. The widthof a typical panel (exclusive of the tongues) will be somewhat, e.g. oneinch, short of the spacing between the posts and will be slightly, e.g.one-quarter of an inch, wider than the interpost spacing if the tonguesare included. Thus, an exemplicative tongue will protrude five-eights ofan inch from an edge of the panel. The thickness of a thick panel may beabout equal to the thickness of a post. These dimensions have been givenby way of example.

A suitable material for the core 110 is bonded asbestos fibers, bondedpaper fibers, bonded straw fibers, bonded wood chips and bonded clothfibers, all of these being materials commonly utilized in the buildingtrade. The core is rectangular to match the space defined by a pair offacing posts, the floor and a transom bar. The broad surfaces of thecore are covered with a layer 112 of any suitable sheet material.Customarily, this will be decorative in finish. Examples of thesecovering layers are metal (painted or bare), cloth and wood veneer. Itis also within the scope of the invention to use a decorative sheet suchas perforated board although in such instance it is necessary to spacethe perforated board somewhat from the core as is customary.

The covering layers project beyond the edges of the core to form acontinuous peripheral groove at the top, side and bottom edges of thewall panel, this groove being filled by reinforcing strips 114 of astronger material than the core, as, for instance, wood. It is preferedto use wood at this point inasmuch as it provides a foundation to whichother elements may be attached in a rapid, simple and conventionalmanner as, for instance, by wood screws.

At each side edge of the panel 34 the outer face of the strip 114'isrecessed slightly below the associated outer side edge of the coverlayer 112 to form a broad shallow setback in which there is placed thebase 116 of a length of banding 118. The banding is fabricated from asturdy rigid stock, e.g., metal and preferably aluminum, the same beingof uniform cross-section and desirably extruded. The outer surface ofthe banding is centrally raised to provide narrow protuberances 12-9,i.e. tongues, which run the length of the side edges of the wall paneland are hollow, as best seen in FIG. 19, for economy and weight. Theseare the elongated tongues which are adapted to be received within theconstricted mouths of the grooves 48 on the posts 32. To minimize soundtransmission, it is advisable to place a membrane 122 of an elastomericmaterial between the wood strip 114 and the base of the banding. Similarbanding 118 is applied to the top and bottom edges of the wall panel 34.

The banding is held in place in any suitable manner, e.g., by adhesive.In such case, the adhesive is used to secure the base of the banding tothe membrane and to secure the membrane to the strip 114. Said strip114, in turn, is adhered to the edges of the core 110. Alternatively,screws 124 are employed to fasten the banding to the strip, the heads ofthe screws, as shown in MG. 16, being countersunk into the tip of thetongues and the shanks engaging the strip 114.

For a reason which later will be mentioned, the base 116 of the bandingon both sides of the tongue may be formed with a vertically registeredseries of vertically elongated slots 126 (see FIG. 20). The membrane 116beneath such base is similarly slotted and, where these slots areprovided, the strip 114 beneath the membrane is formed to includevertical channels 128 in registry with the vertical series of slots.Such slots 126 are omitted from the banding along the top and bottomedges of the wall panel although their presence can do no harm.

The widths of the tongues 120 are such that they are a nice fit in theconstricted mouths of the grooves 48. In the preferred form of theinvention, the tongues are too wide to enter the grooves 83 in the stripgasketing 46 but are barely narrower than the constricted mouths of thegrooves 4-8 so that there is a minimum of play permitted when they areinserted in said mouths. In practice, even this play is renderednegligible by the entrance of portions of the elastomeric ribs in thespace between the sides of the tongues and the edges defining theconstricted mouths of the grooves 43.

A typical thin wall panel is a pane of glass 130 shown, for example, inFIG. 12. With this arrangement, no additional elements are necessary forproviding the tongues at the side edges and at the top and bottom of thepanel since the edges of the glass serve as the tongues. The grooves 88in the strip gasketing are dimensioned to snugly receive these edges.

The clerestory panels 42 are constructed in a manner similar to the wallpanels 34, a thick clerestory panel being illustrated in FIG. 16 and aglass clerestory panel shown in FIG. 12. It will be observed that theclerestory panels, like the wall panels, have peripheral tongues alongall four edges thereof. However, the upper tongue in the case of a thickclerestory panel and the upper edge in the case of the glass panel arespecially constructed for engagement with a flat ceiling surface. Inparticular, the tongue of the banding 118 provided at the top edge of athick clerestory panel is formed with a narrow downwardly extending slot132 in which there is received and adhesively held the downwardlyextending rib of an elongated strip 134 of an elastomeric material.Similarly, along the upper edge of a glass clerestory panel, there isprovided an H-shaped extruded molding 136 having inturned flanges 138along the edges of its lower legs. Both sections of this molding arefilled with elongated elastomeric strips 140, which when uncompressedare higher than the space they are to fill.

Like the other elements of a partitioning system emlower edge of thepanel 34. channel 160 is secured to the lower tongue 12% of a bodyingthe present invention, the base 44 is far less complex than the basepresent-day systems. Said base 44 includes a track 142 of uniformcross-section which is best shown in FIGURE 16. The track includes adepressed center section 144 providing an upwardly facing groove 146which extends parallel to the bottom edge of a wall panel 34. Runningalong both sides of and defining the groove 146 are raised sections 148which form downwardly extending grooves. Each of the latter grooves isfilled with a strip 14-9 of elastomer'ie material for sound deadening.The raised sections are integrally connected at their outer sides withvertically upwardly extending flanges 150 which project above saidsections.

In addition, the base includes levelling bolts in the form of two ormore threaded rods 152 having square bottoms 154 adapted to be snuglyreceived in the track groove 146. A levelling nut 156 is threaded oneach rod 152 and has resting on its upper surface a washer 1158. Adaptedto be seated on the washers 153 of a pair or more of the levelling boltsis an inverted channel bar 160 into which the upper ends of the rodsfreely extend. Clips 162 of resilient material, e.g., spring steel, arewelded at intervals to the top of the inverted channel 166, the jaws ofthe clips facing upwardly and the clips being spaced from one another.The jaws of the clips embrace a strip 164 of elastomeric material havingan upwardly extending rib adapted to be received within the slotted freeedge of the tongue 120 projecting from the Desirably, the inverted wallpanel, as by a screw 166 the head of which is con tained within thechannel and the shank of which engages the base of the slot in thetongue 120. To maintain a predetermined space between the channel 166and the tongue 1243 at the lower edge of a Wall panel whereby to insurea definite shadow space below the bottom. of a thick wall panel, it isdesirable to interpose a rigid spacing block 167 between the base of theclip and said tongue, thereby to fix the distance between the two whenthe screw 166 is tightened.

This invention now has been suificiently described to understand how atypical section of the partitioning system is assembled after a pair ofposts 32 have been installed and a transom bar fixed between the posts,in other words, how a clerestory panel, a wall panel and a base aremounted on an installed pair of posts and a transom bar. Although eitherthe clerestory panel or the wall panel may be mounted first, for ease ofexplanation, the mounting of the clerestory panel first will bedescribed. This panel is introduced into the space between the ceilingand the transom bar. As noted heretofore, the distance from the tip of atongue 120 at one side of the panel to the tip of the tongue 124) at theopposite side of the panel is greater than the distance between theouter opposed faces of the posts. However, by canting the panel slightlyone tongue can be and is inserted into a groove 43 of one of the posts,this tongue being thrust to a depth suflicient to enable the oppositetongue to enter into the space between the posts, registered with andinserted into the opposed groove 48 in the other post. Thus, the twoopposite side tongues 120 will now be located in the grooves 48 of theirassociated posts 32 so that the clerestory panel is held againstshifting in a direction normal to the planes of its broad faces. Thestrip gasketings in the grooves 4-8 are compressed by insertion of thetongues so that they tend to equalize the depth of insertion of the twotongues.

One of the features which is characteristic of a thick panel installedin accordance with the instant invention is the shadow'spaces 168 at theside edges of the panel where these side edges, the posts and thetongues form narrow grooves. Similar shadow spaces desirably areprovided at the top and bottom edges of thick clerestory and wall panelsby the tongues at these areas.

During the insertion of the two side tongues in the manner abovedescribed, the elastomeric strip 134 above the top tongue 121i is heldunder compression inasmuch as the distance from the tip of the tonguerunning along the lower edge of the clerestory panel to the uppersurface of the strip 134 is greater than the distance between'theceiling and the upper face of the transom bar. It is for this purpose,among others, that the strip 134 is made elastic. After the side tongueshave been inserted, the bottom tongue 120 will be in registry with theupwardly facing groove 48 of the transom bar and said tongue now isinserted in this groove to engage the strip gasketing therein, thussomewhat lessening the degree of compression of the strip 134.'H-owever, the compression preferably is not fully released so as tomaintain engagement between the strip 134 and the ceiling surfacewhereby to form at this point a sound barrier between the areas onopposite sides of the clerestory panel.

The installation of a wall panel resembles the installation of aclerestory panel. That is to say the installation of such panels areidentical with respect to insertion of the side tongues in the verticalgrooves of the associated pre viously installed pair of posts. However,there is a difference with respect to the placement and insertion of thetop and bottom tongues of the edge banding 113. Assuming thatthe twoside tongues have been entered into the facing grooves of the associatedpair of posts, the next step in the mounting of a wall panel is to raisethe panel so that its. upper tongue 120 will enter into the downwardlyfacing groove of the transom bar. It will be observed that at this timethe clips 162 which are welded to the downwardly facing channel havebeen engaged with the downwardly extending tongue 120 and held there bythe screws 166 so that the channel 160 operationally forms a part of thewall panel. The track 142 is laid on the floor covering between the twoposts, the bottoms of the threaded rods 152 are introduced into thetrack groove 146 and tops of said rods are introduced into thedownwardly facing groove of the channel 160. Preferably, these rods arelocated near the sides of the wall panel (see FIG. 17). Optionally,additional rods may be disposed between the end rods.

While the wall panel is being held with the tongue 120 at the upper edgeof the panel forced into the lower groove of the transom bar, thelevelling nuts 156 are turned to bring the washers 158 into engagementwith the channel 160.

As soon as this operation is completed, the wall panel 34 can bereleased, it having been manually held temporarily in its uppermostposition. The nuts 156 now may be backed off sufiiciently to form ashadow space of desired width between the base of the upper banding andthe under surface of the transom bar, the width of space desirablymatching the width of the shadow spaces at the side edges of the Wallpanel.

Finally, trim strips 176 are snapped in place to conceal the track, therods and the elements attached to the bottom tongue of the wall panel.The trim consists of two I-shaped strips, one at each side of the base.Dependent from the inner edge of the horizontal reach of each strip is ashort leg 172 which is adapted to be snapped between a jaw of each ofthe clips 162 and the tongue 12% at the lower edge of the wall panel,the tip of each jaw being angled outwardly to facilitate entry of thisleg. In addition, the long outer leg 17?) of each trim strip is providedwith a downwardly facing U- shaped clip 174 which is adapted toresiliently grasp the upwardly extending flange 150 of the track. Thus,it will be seen that the trim strips 17 0 are installed by placing thesame in their correct lateral position and forcing them downwardly.

The shadow space 168 at the lower side of the wall panel is containedbetween said lower side edge and the horizontal reach of the trim strip.

It now will be appreciated that the installation of the celerestory andwall panels is easily effected despite the previous installation of itsassociated pair of posts. It also will be seen that said panels may beremoved without first taking down either of said posts. This isparticularly advantageous when it is desired to change panels Withoutdisturbing the posts, as for instance, if it is desired to change thedecor of a room.

When glass (thin) panels are used for either the 01ersstory panels orthe wall panels, the same mode of installation as for the thick panelsis followed. Only two additional features need to be pointed out.Firstly the clastorneric strips 14% protrude upwardly from the molding1133 to engage the ceiling surface and thereby function in essentiallythe same fashion as the strips 134. A similar strip and molding isprovided at the lower edge of the glass pane forming a wall panel 34(see FIG. 12). Secondly the remaining edges of the pane directly engagethe grooves 38 in the gasketing strips.

The slots 126 provided at the side edges of the wall panels can beutilized to support various objects as, for instance, lamps and bookshelves, this latter use being illustrated in FIGS. 18-20. To support ashelf 176, there is utilized a bracket 178, the shank 179 of which isshaped in accordance with an ancillary feature of the present invention.Said shank includes a pair of inturned arms 13% having fingers 182dependent from the ends thereof. The distance between the fingers andthe shank is slightly in excess of the thickness of the base 116 of thebanding. Thus, to engage a bracket with an already installed wall panel,it simply is necessary to insert the shank of the bracket in the shadowspace adjacent a side edge of the wall panel and align the inturned armswith a pair of slots, said arms being spaced the same as the slots. Thearms then are thrust into the slots, the ends (including the fingers)thereof being approximately the same height as the slots. Thereafter thebracket is shifted downwardly to locate the tips of the fingers belowthe lower edges of the associated slots so that the bracket is locked inplace against accidental removal. To aid in locating the bracket, therealso may be provided on each shank a rearwardly extending leg 184 whichis designed to engage the front face of the tongue 12% at the side edgeof a wall panel. The bracket extends forwardly from the shank a distancesufiicient to accommodate the shelf 176.

It will be appreciated that although the posts 32 hereinabove describedare provided with four grooves since they are intended for use inpositions spaced from the walls of a building, it also is needful tolocate some posts against a building wall. A typical such post'which isherein denoted by the reference numeral 186 is referred to as ahalf-post. Like the posts 32, a half-post conveniently is made ofextruded aluminum. It includes only a single groove 48 in which there islocated the usual strip gasketing 46. Said half-post is secured to awall in any suitable fashion, and it usually is preferable to make thisa permanent installation utilizing for this purpose sturdy attachingmeans like lag screws.

All of the principal elements of a partitioning system embodying thepresent invention now have been described. However, it is readilyapparent that although these elements will serve to form the walls of aroom, suitable entrance means are necessary. The particular constructionof such means is not a fundamental part of the present invention.However, the manner in which such entrance means are incorporated in apartitioning system is an auxiliary feature of the invention,particularly insofar as such entrance means cooperate with the groovesin the posts. By way of example, there is set forth below a descriptionof two typical types of entrance means, to wit, a sliding door and aswinging door.

A typical sliding door construction is illustrated in FIGS. 21-23. Saidconstruction includes a track 188 which may be formed from extrudedaluminum or, alternatively, when heavy doors are employed, steel.

Essentially, the track 183 may be a modified transom bar which has beenaltered to act as a hanging track support for a conventional slidingdoor. The track, accordingly, may include the usual groove 33 and stripgasketing 46 on its upper surface. The ends of the track are connectedto previously installed posts by compression brackets ,2 and shoes 1%.In most instances, although not necessarily, the track will span twomodular spaces, one post thereby being omitted, and, accordingly, it isdesirable to make the track of relatively heavy section whereby toenable it to maintain its linearity when subjected to the stresses ofhanging doors.

The lower portion of the track 133 includes the usual upturned elongatedlips 19;) on which ball-bearing wheels 192 with nylon tires are adaptedto ride. Said wheels are journalled on hangers 1% on which the hangingdoors 1% are secured. Since the construction of the doors per se andtheir cooperation with the floor track 198 is conventional and is nopart of this invention, the same, although shown in detail, will not bedescribed. It may be mentioned, however, that the type of panel used forthe sliding door will vary in accordance with architecturalrequirements. For instance, glass-panelled doors have been illustratedbut it is within the scope of the invention to use solid doors.

Attention also is called to the use of the grooves 48 on the postsdefining the sliding door opening. Where sliding doors are employed, thestrip gaskctings below the track 183 may be removed and in their placethere preferably are substituted extruded strips 290 of dove-tailsection adapted to snugly fit within the broad portions of the grooves.Each said strip is provided with a center partition 2222 that is coveredwith a narrow pile tape 2%, thus forming a brush seal lying within theconstricted mouth of the groove. Said seal is adapted to be engaged oneither side of the partition by the protuberant flanges 2% formed on thevertical edges of the sliding door panels.

A typical swinging door construction 2% is illustrated in FIGS. 24-27.Essentially, such construction comprises a modular frame having tongueson its side edges so that like any typical wall panel it can beinterlocked with previously installed posts. In particular, the framefor the swinging door panel includes a head member 210, a thresholdmember 212, a hinge jamb member 214 and a banding member 216. All ofthese members conveniently. may constitute aluminum extrusions.

The head member (see FIG. 25) is an elongated platelike body 21% fromthe outer surface of which a tongue 22% protrudes. The tongue is deeplyslotted at its free edge in order to reduce the weight of the headmember. The surface of the body opposite to the tongue is formed with adove-tail slot 222 for a reception of a matchingly shaped gasketingstrip 224 from the outer surface of which flexible fins 226 protrude.The fins run in a direction parallel to the plane of the door frame andlightly engage the top of the swinging door 228 to thereby act as aseal.

The banding member 216 is essentially similar to the head member 212except that, if desired, the slot 222 may be omitted. The thresholdmember 212 is of conventional shape. The hinge jamb member 214 has ashape identical to that of the head member 210.

The four members 210, 212, 214 and 216 are arranged to define aperiphery (exclusive of the tongues) of the door frame 298 which is thesame size as that of the wall panels. They may be secured to one anotherin any convenient fashion. F or example, the threshold member and headmember may be formed with openings 230 to receive the heads of screws232 (see FIG. 26) the shanks of which engage tapped bores in the ends ofthe hinge jamb member 214 and banding member 216. Preferably, theintcrengagement between these members is made more secure by theinclusion of a panel insert 234 comprising a thick core 236, coverlayers 238 and top, bottom and 1? side edgereinforcing strips. 240. Thebanding 2161sattached to the outer side edge of the panel insert as bywood screws 242; and the head member 210 and threshold member 212 aresecured to the top and bottom edges of the insert as by wood screws 244.This arrangement has the further advantage of reinforcing the desiredperpendicularity between the banding member 216- and the head andthreshold members.

It will' be obvious that. the door frame 298 can be installed in' ani'riterpost space in the same manner as a thick wall' panel, that is tosay, the tongues at the side edges of' the door frame areinterl'ockingly engaged with the grooves of the pair of associated postsin a manner that already has been described in detail. The tongue 220 atthe upper edge of the door frame then is inserted into the groove 48 onthe lower face of the transom bar so that the said three edges of thedoor panel are firmly positioned.

The door frame is maintained in a slightly raised position so as toretain the tongue of: the head member in the transom bar groove. Thiscan be accomplished, for example, by shimmin'g up the thresholdmember.In the commercial embodiment of the invention, the shimming is performedby the floor tiles 246.

A sweep seal 248 has its base embedded in the lower edge of the door 228so that the bottom portion thereof can lightly engage the thresholdmember 212.

To assist in fixing the head and threshold members,.

these components of the door unit may include outwardly extending lugs250 matching and registered with the tongues of the jamb and bandingmembers and received with said tongues in the grooves of the posts.

The door 228 is pivotally connected 'to the hinge jamb member 214 byconventional hinges 252 each having a stationary butt 254 and a swingingbutt 256. The swinging butt is inset in a rabbet 258 in the door andheld in place by screws 260. The stationary butt 254 is received in arabbet 262 in the hinge jamb member 214, said rabbet extendingtransversely across and having a common base with the dove-tail groove222. Screws 264 are employed to hold the stationary butt in place.

For aesthetic purposes it is desirable that the metal trim (thethickness of the members 210, 212, 214, 216) which extends around theperiphery of the door frame be of uniform thickness, and for economy itis best to maintain this trim as thin as possible. However, when such acomparatively thin hinge jamb member is rabbeted for reception of thestationary butt, the metal remaining may be too weak to take suddenstress without deformation. Therefore, in order to increase the strengthof the portion of the hinge jamb member to which the stationary butt issecured shoes 266 are provided which are of dove-tail shape and arelocated within the groove of the door post nearest the hinges. Theshanks of the screws 264 engage tapped bores in these shoes (see FIGS.24 and 26) and thus in efliect become anchored in the shoes which arestrong enough to take the stress placed thereon.

Moreover, since the hinge side of the door unit in the form of theinvention being described is not reinforced by a panel insert 234, it isdesirable to provide means to absorb torsional stress imposed thereon.The shoes 256 can be used as such a means. To this end there isadditionally added to the tongue extending from the hinge side of thedoor frame a pair of flanges 268 (see FIG. 24). Each shoe 266 isvertically slotted to prevent engagement between the tip of the tongueand said shoe. Thereby, when the screws 264 are tightened, they willcause the post adjacent the constricted mouth of the groove to beclamped between the shoe and the flanges 268 so as to firmly secure thehinge jamb member to the post. When this arrangement is utilized it isnecessary first to insert the tongue on the banding member in thecorresponding groove in the associated post and lastlyv to insert thetongue on the hinge jamb member in its corresponding groove since thedepth of insertion of the latter tongue is limited by the flanges 268.

Any suitable device can be employed to function as a door stop. Forexample, the associated edges of the door 228 and of the insert panel234 may be matchingly rabbeted (see FIG. 24).

A partitioning system such as described above is singularly adapted foruse in conjunction with a modular air conditioning arrangement whichforms an auxiliary feature of the instant invention. Pursuant thereto,one set of ceiling strips, e.g., the strips 66, is provided with twoseries of linearly registered slots 270'. Each of said series of slotsis disposed on a different side of the center line of the strip and,therefore, is located on opposite sides of the line running from centerto center of 'the post openings 74. Thus, when a panel, either a thickclerestory panel or a thin clerestory panel, is positioned between apair of posts spaced along a strip 66, the upper edge, i.e., tongue, ofsuchpanel will engage the strip between the two sets of slots.

In the space above the ceiling, every other pair of parallel walls 70 onthe. strips 66 is connected to an air conditioning supply duct .272. Theremaining pairs of walls 70 .are connected to exhaust, i.e., .returnducts or simply to the space above the ceiling. Thus alternate stripsare connected by means of the slots 270 to an air conditioning inlet andan air conditioning outlet. When no partitions are erected in a space,such alternate arrangement of the air conditioning slots providesexcellent uniformity of temperature and humidity throughout the space.When partitions are installed, the same desirable uniformity oftemperature and of air conditioning inlets and outlets will bemaintained because wherever a partition is erected it will separate thetwo sets of slots of either an air conditioning inlet or outlet so thatthe two sides of the partition will be similarly treated. For example,if partitions are spaced one modular unit apart, such a space would haveone set of slots of an air conditioning inlet and one set of slots of anair conditioning outlet; if the partitions are spaced two modular unitsapart, there will be two sets of each kind of slots etc.

It thus will be seen that there has been provided a partitioning systemwhich achieves the various objects of the invention and is well adaptedto meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention andas various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, itis to be'understood that all matter herein described or shown in theaccompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, there is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent:

1. For use in a partitioning system of the character described, a posthaving at least one groove parallel to the length thereof, said groovehaving a broad back and a narrow mouth, and resilient strip gasketing insaid groove, said gasketing being shaped to fill the broad back of thegroove and to extend into the narrow mouth there of, the portion of thegasketing in the mouth of the groove being shaped to provide a pair ofspaced parallel narrow ribs lyingagainst the sides of the mouth of thegroove and between them defining an outwardly facing groove in thegasketing which is parallel to the groove in the post.

2. For use in a partitioning system of the character described, a posthaving at least one pair of oppositely outwardly facing registeredgrooves parallel to the length thereof, each of said grooves having abroad back and a narrow mouth, and strip gasketing in each said groove,the gasketing in each groove being shaped to fill the broad back of theathliated groove and to extend into the narrow mouth thereof, theportion'of the gasketing in the mouth of the gorove being shaped toprovide a pair of spaced parallel narrow ribs lying against the sides ofthe mouth of the groove and between them defining an outwardly facinggroove in the gasketing which is parallel to the affiliated groove inthe post.

3. For use in a partitioning system of the character described, a posthaving two pairs of oppositely outwardly facing registered groovesparallel to the length thereof and oriented in quadrature, each of saidgrooves having a broad back and a narrow mouth, each of said grooveshaving resilient strip gasketing therein, the gasketing in each groovebeing shaped to fill the broad back of the affiliated groove and toextend into the narrow mouth thereof, the portion of the gasketing inthe mouth of the groove being shaped to provide a pair of spacedparallel narrow ribs lying against the sides of the mouth of the grooveand between them defining an outwardly facing groove in the gasketingwhich is parallel to the affiliated groove in the post.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 758,331 4/04Ohnstrand 189-41 1,498,921 6/24 Keppler 204 1,650,093 11/27 Rank et al.18928 1,785,025 12/30 Felsenthal 189-41 2,168,725 8/39 Whelan 50-1262,171,338 8/39 Henderson 50l26 2,203,427 6/40 Dautrick 20-522 2,495,8911/50 Davis 33174 5 2,766,855 10/56 Johnson et a1. 189-34 2,808,136 10/57Hammitt et al 18934 2,862,584 12/58 Allen 18934 2,863,180 12/58 Birdwellet a1 2056.1 X 2,867,856 1/59 Cudini 2011 10 2,876,871 3/59 Coffman etal 18934 2,895,183 7/59 Dumbolton 20-19 2,904,848 9/59 Liberenz 20192,943,718 7/60 Pollock l8934 2,963,131 12/60 Brockway 18942 X 15 FOREIGNPATENTS 1,142,340 3/57 France.

OTHER REFERENCES 20 Designing With Aluminum Extrusions, page 4,published by Reynolds Metals Co., 1952.

RICHARD W. COOKE, 111., Primary Examiner.

CORNELIUS D. ANGEL, Examiner.

1. FOR USE IN A PARTITIONING SYSTEM OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, A POSTHAVING AT LEAST ONE GROOVE PARALLEL TO THE LENGTH THEREOF, SAID GROOVEHAVING A BROAD BACK AND A NARROW MOUTH, AND RESILIENT STRIP GASKETING INSAID GROOVE, SAID GASKETING BEING SHAPED TO FILL THE BROAD BACK OF THEGROOVE AND TO EXTEND INTO THE NARROW MOUTH THEREOF, THE PORTION OF THEGASKETING IN THE MOUTH OF THE GROOVE BEING SHAPED TO PROVIDE A PAIR OFSPACED PARALLEL NARROW RIBS LYING AGAINST THE SIDES OF THE MOUTH OF THEGROOVE AND BETWEEN THEM DEFINING AN OUTWARDLY FACING GROOVE IN THEGASKETING WHICH IS PARALLEL TO THE GROOVE IN THE POST.